Anislagan Bantay Kalikasan Task Force [ABAKATAF]: ANTI-MINING FARMERS ATTEMPT TO SET WORLD RECORD

A small village of around two thousand population set the Guinness World Record for the Tallest Scarecrow in the ricefiled.

Around 80 farmers who are members of Anislagan Bantay Kalikasan Task Force (ABAKATAF) installed a 15-foot tall scarecrow to scare Mining Companies planned to mine their village.

Organized themselves as ABAKATAF in 2001 during the height of rallies against the proposed mining operation of Manila Mining Corporation (MMC) in their village.

Anislagan is an interior barangay of Municipality of Placer, Surigao del Norte. It is mainly populated by peace loving migrant farmers from different islands of Visayas, which the majority was coming from Cebu and Bohol. The small village sits at the foot of Bayugo and Bagacay hills which supplies potable water in this village and the entire town of Placer. Anislagan also provides irrigation to nearby barangay of Sta. Cruz.

MMC and Anglo American, subsidiary company of the London-based transnational Lepanto Mining firm merged for a joint venture agreement called Kalayaan Copper Gold Resources (KCGR) for an mining exploration activity in Barangay Anislagan. KCGR was issued an Exploration Permit EP-XIII-014B last march 5, 2008 without community consultation and the Barangay council's endorsement. This exploration area covers 286.6 hectares in Brgy. Anislagan which is adjacent to the Boyongan project in Tubod, Surigao del Norte.

"It is so inspiring to the see the whole community help in installing the tallest scarecrow in the world and to tell to the whole world that we against mining in our agricultural village", Gigi Dapar, member of ABAKATAF narrated.

The village will not know until three weeks whether the Guinness Book of World Record recognizes its achievement.

Carl Cesar C. Rebuta

Team Leader

Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center,Inc –

Kasama sa Kalikasan/Friends of the Earth-Philippines

( LRC-KsK/FoE-Phils.)

Cagayan de Oro Office

088-856-5045

Save Anislagan Watershed

Save our Watershed Save our Livelihood Save our Lives
Baranggay Anislagan, Placer, Surigao del Norte, with its clear and pristine sources of water, rich agricultural lands and peaceful surroundings, it has the trappings of a perfect scene from a postcard. The community of Anislagan is enjoying a simple and idyllic life, not with too much prosperity but enough to make them have a decent living with their farms, made lush and greener by way of irrigation from the clean water source.
Far from Perfect
But all these will about to change into something darker. With Surigao del Norte touted as one of the richest provinces in terms of natural resources, it is now in danger of becoming a barren land, its inhabitants becoming landless farmers and homeless families and individuals. As the province’s gold and nickel deposits are considered first-class, it is a major target for stakeholders in development projects and industrial exploitation.
The Manila Mining Corporation (MMC) was awarded a temporary exploration permit by the government to explore this mineral-rich area. But the move to exploit the area is met with strong opposition. The community itself took initiatives to protect their area, their watershed, their source of food and living, their life. They organized themselves and made various protest actions to save their community. A peoples organization, TASK FORCE ABAKATAF (Anislagan Bantay Kalikasan Task Force), was formed. With Task Force ABAKATAF, the community was one in unity for their own protection. From pickets, to rallies, signature campaigns and the likes, they launched various activities for their cause to be heard and supported. Unfortunately, MMC also filed civil and criminal suits against the community members and Task Force ABAKATAF, their own way of silencing oppression.
The Power Play
Despite such publicity and strong opposition, the MMC was granted a renewal of the Exploration Permit (EP-XIII-) on January 17, 2002. Subsequently, MMC struck a joint venture with Anglo-American in April 2007 which created the company Kalayaan Copper Gold Resources Inc. (KCGR). MMC then assigned a portion of its Exploration permit to KCGR, in which, the new company applied for a new Exploration Permit with number EP-XIII-014B covering at least 286 hectares.
The Resistance of the People Continues
The struggle continues for Baranggay Anislagan. With every unity and collective effort, the chance of victory increases. In protecting our own lives, our rights, our livelihood, our land, one has a stronger chance of restoring their land and their lives to them. A peaceful community, with the trappings of a post-card perfect image, Barangay Anislagan should be saved.

Anislagan Bantay Kalikasan Task Force [ABAKATAF]

ANTI-MINING FARMERS ATTEMPT TO SET WORLD RECORD

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